-3 stars -

First of all, I got an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley, but I was already 30% done with it before I realized it was a sequel. So, my review would probably have been a little bit different had I read the first book prior to reading this one. #whoops

Sisi follows empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary as she navigates motherhood, running a country, being a wife, all while trying to be true to herself. I liked learning about a royal who I previously knew nothing about, as well as a time period and setting I knew little about. The look into this person/character's life alone is interesting enough to make the read worthwhile. I especially enjoyed reading a book set in Austria-Hungary, and from time-to-time Bavaria. Just imagining the lively place, the world's fair, etc. is really captivating. My favorite parts of the book were some of the descriptions. Sisi was famous for being enchantingly beautiful. Her hair alone was talked about widely. Just imagining her gowns, her hair ornaments, etc. was really fun for me. I certainly wanted to be a princess when I was a kid! :)

One thing that was a little hard for me to navigate was the passage of time in this book. It starts from the mysterious perspective of a deranged man who seems to be stalking someone. But then it jumps into the main plot. But as the book goes on, from one section to the next could be a few hours time, or maybe months or years worth of time. I found it a little disjointed. It wasn't too much to keep me from reading it, but I hoped for a little more flow as the book went along.